Cyprotex will offer a new long-term toxicity testing service using InSphero's 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues
Zurich, Switzerland, 13. September 2012 – InSphero AG, experts in three-dimensional microtissue research, and Cyprotex PLC (LSE: CRX), the specialist preclinical contract research organization (CRO), announce a joint service offering that combines the expertise of both companies to provide customers with advanced cellular models of drug-induced toxicity in the liver.
The new liver toxicology screening service will use InSphero's 3D InSight™ liver model, and it will be performed at Cyprotex's laboratories, where customers will have the benefit of Cyprotex's extensive expertise in ADME and toxicology. InSphero's liver model has the advantage that the cells remain viable for a longer time period, allowing multiple dose studies to be performed over an extended time course.
Hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) is one of the most common reasons for drug withdrawal through drug-induced toxicity. Conventional preclinical toxicology studies fail to predict human hepatotoxicity in approximately 50% of cases. This has led to an urgent need for human cell-based in vitro models that accurately represent the native organ.
The current industry approach is to use cells in a single-layer culture (known as a 2D monolayer). InSphero has developed a novel high-throughput method for generating 3D microtissues from individual cells. InSphero's microtissues have the advantage of being completely scaffold-free and do not rely on a bioartificial matrix for tissue formation. This results in highly functional microtissues that exhibit stable enzyme activity over extended periods. Compared to 2D cultures, 3D microtissues more closely mimic native tissues and organs, forming natural cell-to-cell attachments. Both single-cell-type and multiple-cell-type models can be produced.
Dr. Jan Lichtenberg, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of InSphero, commented: "We are very proud that Cyprotex has recognized the value of InSphero's highly functional 3D liver microtissues and will now be helping the industry to exploit the advantages of the model. Our joint offering combines leading 3D cell-culture expertise with the proven ADME-Tox experience of a world-leading specialist. This assures high-quality data and reliable processes for our fee-for-service customers and makes advanced, predictive toxicology testing easily available to drug developers worldwide."
Commenting on the joint offering, Dr. Anthony Baxter, the Chief Executive Officer of Cyprotex, said: "A key objective of our research is to improve the extrapolation of in vitro data to the clinical situation. The value of InSphero's 3D microtissues is that they are more predictive of the in vivo processes when compared with existing 2D models. With InSphero providing robust and reliable 3D liver models, we have found an excellent partner to fulfill our key objective."
About Cyprotex
Cyprotex is based in Macclesfield, near Manchester in the UK, and Watertown, Boston in the US, and is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (CRX). The company was established in 1999 and works with more than 700 partners ranging from small biotechs to large pharma companies. Cyprotex acquired Apredica and the assets of Cellumen Inc. in August 2010, and the combined business provides support for a wide range of experimental and computational ADME-Tox and PK services, extending from early drug discovery through to IND submission. The company's core capabilities include high-quality in vitro ADME screening services, mechanistic toxicology, high-content toxicology screening services, and predictive modeling using PBPK and QSAR techniques, including Cloe® PK for in vivo PK prediction.
For more information about the company, please visit Cyprotex's official website.
